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Following the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973
which made abortion legally permissible in all the States, the Rev.
Msgr. John Perusina, late pastor of St. Michael Parish on Sage Road,
Houston, put a sign outside the rectory which said: If you will have your
baby, this parish will help you in every way. The original sign
still stands today.
This was the
beginning of the Gabriel Project. In 1990, Cathy McConn from St.
Cecilia Parish in Houston and her friend, Rex Moses from Corpus Christi, saw
the sign, and the Gabriel Project was developed throughout the
Galveston-Houston and the Corpus Christi dioceses.
The Gabriel
Project is parish based crisis pregnancy intervention within the
Catholic Church. Through the parish acting as the Good Samaritan,
Mom receives the love, care, and spiritual, material, and emotional
support she needs throughout her pregnancy.
The parish community responds to Mom with unconditional love. A
“Sign of Life” is placed in front of the church stating that help is
available to pregnant women. A trained mentor, the parish Gabriel
Angel, is responsible for ongoing contact with Mom, through out her
pregnancy and beyond.
The Gabriel Project is the manifestation of God’s love to women
experiencing a crisis pregnancy. This love is a witness of the
infinite and healing love of God. The Gabriel Project is the work
of the Holy Spirit; and through pastoral care evangelizes and
educates.
The Gabriel Project works collaboratively with other Apostolates and
Ministries in the Parish and within the Diocese. Once Mom has met
with her Angel, her crisis is over although her problems are not. It
will take some time to help Mom work out her difficulties.
The Gabriel
Project is not an emergency service. All emergencies must go
directly to the local emergency room or to the police.
The Gabriel
Project is grounded in prayer and seeks the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. The most important gift we have to offer Mom is the gift of
Christ Our Lord. Always pray with her and for her. Let her know
how precious she and her unborn baby are to the Lord. Never be
afraid to speak the truth in love. Do not condemn or preach to her,
but lovingly let her know what wonderful graces the Lord has to
offer. Remember if the Angel does not have a strong faith, and
close relationship with God, it will be hard to share it with
someone else. We cannot share what we do not have.
We remain
motivated out of love and mercy for the woman. If we love her as
Christ loves her, seeing Christ in her, we will be serving her
unborn child in the same way. We will never be manipulative or
harsh in our speech. The Angel will always give good information,
loving guidance, and suggestions. Mom will make the important
decisions that affect her and her child’s life and she will be the
one who lives with the consequences. We will encourage her to
choose a future of life and love for herself and her baby without
ever coercing her.
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